threatened

/ˈθrɛɾɪnd/

/ˈθrɛtənd/

A plant or animal that's threatened may not continue to survive, and are at risk of becoming endangered. In the U.S., dwindling numbers of gray wolves make them a threatened species.

Threatened plants, animals, and fungi are in a protected category because they face a small (but real) risk of extinction — though they're not quite as vulnerable as an endangered species. Federal law prevents people from killing, collecting, or harming organisms in this group, like the threatened piping plover, a tiny bird you might see on a beach. Threatened means under threat, which is derived from a root word meaning "press or squeeze."

Definitions of threatened

1. adjective

   (of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
   “the spotted owl is a threatened species, not yet an endangered one”

   synonyms:

   vulnerable

   susceptible to attack